Houseboat Vacations in Kentucky

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Many of Kentucky's state parks and recreation areas center on dam reservoir-lakes. Although sometimes overlooked, Kentucky's lakes offer peaceful settings, outdoor activities and scenery that rival the state's famous caves, horse races and bourbon distilleries as vacation destinations. Houseboat accommodations on a Kentucky lake offer a way to take your vacation in a secluded cove. Many houseboats come furnished with hot tubs, water slides and fine wooden fixtures.

Land Between the Lakes

The Land Between the Lakes is a peninsula in southwestern Kentucky between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, which are dam reservoirs of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, respectively. With more than 220,000 acres of surface area between them, the lakes give houseboat vacationers plenty of space and places to explore. Anglers can chase bass, bluegill, catfish, crappie and sauger, while virtually any of the many inlets lakes provide a sheltered area for swimming. Down the two rivers in Tennessee are the Civil War sites of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, where Gen. U.S. Grant earned the sobriquet "Unconditional Surrender Grant" and started his string of victories in February 1862. On land are more than 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, the 1850s-era Tennessee living history farm The Homeplace and several tasty, if ramshackle, backcountry barbecue diners. A range of houseboat rentals are available at Green Turtle Bay Marina, described by Gordon's Travel Guide as the "premier marina resort on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes." One such rental is the Adventuer, a four-cabin boat with sofa sleeper, full kitchen, gas grill on the bow deck, TV with DVD player, GPS, top sundeck and a stern deck with water slide. Land Between the Lakes 100 Van Morgan Drive Golden Pond, KY 42211 270-924-2000 lbl.org

Lake Cumberland

Lake Cumberland, a Cumberland River reservoir formed behind Wolf Creek Dam, draws more than four million visitors per year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At 101 miles long, with more than 50,000 acres of surface area, the lake offers houseboats numerous secluded inlets for anchoring. Lake Cumberland offers four different varieties of bass, bluegill, crappie, rockfish and walleye. The lake is open to swimming, both from boats and from swimming beaches. With its deep waters, submerged towns and plentiful freshwater fish life, Lake Cumberland is also one of the better scuba diving sites in the state. Houseboat rentals are available through the State Dock, which includes houseboat-driving tutorials and support by radio. The State Dock considers its 400-series houseboat to be one of the busiest models. Appointed with maple paneling and cabinetry, the boat comes equipped with five cabins, two bathrooms, sleeper sofa, TV with VCR, full kitchen, hot tub, central air conditioning and GPS. Lake Cumberland State Dock 6365 State Park Road Jamestown, KY 42629 888-782-8336 statedock.com

Barren River Lake

A houseboat vacation set on Barren River Lake combines the fishing, swimming and placid lake setting of a houseboat trip with close proximity to Mammoth Cave National Park. The lake's fish stocks include bluegill, channel catfish, crappie and rough fish, as well as large-mouth, white and hybrid striped bass. Activities on land include not only the world's largest cave system at Mammoth Cave park, less than 15 miles away, but also hiking trails at both Mammoth Cave and Barren River Lake State Resort Park and the resort's 18-hole golf course. Peninsula Marina rents houseboats with two bunk beds and a futon, bathroom, kitchenette, TV with VCR, air conditioning and decks on the houseboat's bow, stern and top. Peninsula Marina 1261 Peninsula Road Glasgow, KY 42141 270-646-2223 peninsulamarina.com